Packing for making fluid-tight joints between parts of engines or machines having relative movement



March 4, 1930. G. w. BELDAM ET AL 1,749,659

PACKING FOR MAKING FLUID TIGHT JOINTS BETWEEN PARTS OF ENGINES OR MACHINES HAVING RELATIVE MOVEMENT Filed Aug. 21, 1926 6. M 554 any;

Patented Mar. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE WILLIAM BELDAM AND JOHN SMITH, OF EALING, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE BELDAM PACKING & RUBBER COMPANY LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, A

LIMITED-LIABILITY COMPANY PACKING FOR MAKING FLUIDTIGHT JOINTS BETWEEN PARTS OF ENGINES OR I MACHINES HAVING RELATIVE MOVEMENT Application filed August 21, 1926, Serial No. 130,634, and in Great Britain January 1, 1926.

This invention has reference to packings for making fluid tight joints between rods or the like, and other parts having relative movement; as for instance, it has reference to making fluid tight joints for preventing the escape or passage between a rod or moving part, and another part through or in which itmoves or' works. of steam or other fluid used in or operated upon in eng nes, motors, compressors, pumps and the like; and it relates furthermore-to such packings which comprise a bar or plurality of bars of white metal or other anti-friction metal or alloy, constituting a part of the packing,-the other part being of asbestos fabric or composition, textile or similar material, constituting the backing of the packing, and carrier for the metal part; and the metal is folded so as to form upper and lower parts with radial cuts or gaps in them, such gaps in the one part lying over a metal portion of the other part which lies between a pair of such gaps, so that the gaps are staggered or break joint one with the other, whereby the gap openings in the meeting surfaces of the two adjacent edges of the two parts are closed. In some cases themetal bars are made up of a single bar thin at the centre portion, and thickening in depth towards the edges, say in tapered form, and provided with the gaps specified in staggered arrangement; and the one part is folded upon the other about the thinner centre portion; and in some cases a wlre orthe like may be inserted in this part, about which the two portions are folded. By this form of bar, when the complete packing bar is I produced by folding the two parts one upon the other, the bar is of V form in cross section. w j v I In the finished packing according to this invention, the'metal portion of the packing willconsist of three (or more) rows or rings of pieces 'of metal spaced apart by gaps or cuts, and made out of a sin'gle'bar or strip of metal. This bar or strip of metal, prior to being bent and formed into the finished bar, will consist of three parts or members with the V or. similar shaped gaps'or spaces in the members. I t t v The bar may be formed. by drawing or .eX-

truding in the form above described, or it may be otherwise made; and the V or like shaped gaps may be also formed by cutting the bar with suitable shaped tools transversely; and the gaps in the members will be out and arranged in staggered or alternating arrangement so as to produce in the finished metal portion of the packing, the form and constructions hereinafter described.

To form the finished bar, two members or portions are bent or folded towards and onto the other or centre member or portion, so that when these two members or portions are folded, and lie against the central one, their edges will all be in the same plane, so that the depth of the three parts will be equal, and

the active surfaces of the three portions will be practically flush, or may be finished or trimmed so as to be made flush.

According to a modified method of forming the rows or rings a strip or bar of the metalwhich may be of greater thickness at its edges, and of more or less uniform or varied thickness between sameis produced and used, and is bent about its centre portion, so that the two parts, i. e. one at each side of the bend, will be folded and lie together; and then the outer parts or edges are. turned and folded back again towards and on to the folded centre portion, so thatthedepth of the three parts, the centre folded portion, and the two side portions, will at their surfaces be practically flush in the finished article. Thus, in .a packing containing a single bar so formed, there will be the three rows of interrupted -metal rings or lengths, having the appearance of three bars with the gaps or spaces between the metal portions.

The gaps between the bar parts of the outer rings or rows will lie or come next the centre portion of solid metal forming the inner ring or row, so that the gaps break joint, or are in staggered arrangement; and when the packing is bent round when in the form of a ring or helix, and the metal parts are pressed together, there will be a continuous metal surface in the axial direction of the packing.

. The metal bar-or a plurality of bars so formed will beheld or embedded in asbestos or textile or other relatively soft or nonmetallic material forming the carrier or backing; and by the construction described, the metal parts are capable of being easily bent with the whole packing to various diameters when they are in continuous helical form, or in rings, and spaces are preserved between the sections or parts of metal, which serve to retain lubricant, while at the same time complete steam tightness is produced.

In one construction where the bar consists of three members or parts they are so formed that the gaps in the finished bar do not extend to the inner rounded edge of same, so that the lubricant contained in the gaps has not access to the portion of the backing or carrier material between this part of the bar, and the back or inner part ofthe said material. Nevertheless, in some cases, where desired, the bar may be so formed that in its finished state, the gaps or Vs are carried so far in that the lubricant has access to all the different parts of the packing. r

In the manufacture of this packing bar, froma flat strip,the strip is first gapped in a suitable machine along its edges, and holes are out along its centre part, and then the bar will be passed first through rollers orstationary dies so as to fold the bar downwards from its centre onto itself to form the centre portion; and then subsequently the baris passed through other rollers or dies so as to fold up the outside portions against the then projecting centre part, which completes the opera tion, or it may be passed through finishing rollers and dies and produce the finished form desired. 1 7

Regarding the centre holes in the strip or bar, these are preferably in lozenge or diamond form so that they form gaps of V form in the centre rib of the bar when bent up and formed as described; andthese holes or openings in the bar or strip, will be in staggered arrangement with the side gaps; and they will extend laterally'from about the lines of the ends of'the edge V-shaped gaps.

The outer corners of the metallic portions on each side of the gaps are rounded at each sid'enearthe periphery, or they may be angularly chamfered by these parts, and'by so constructing or forming the metal rods, or pieces ofmetalibetween the gaps, theopeningsin the metal do not completely close when the rods or-bars are-bent round, as when formedinto rings or helices for use, but leave spaces for lubricant; so that by this feature in addition to those above described, the lubricating "power: and-effect of'the packing in additionto its steam tight qualitiesare enhanced. 1

By the'spaces or gaps provided, when the packing is coiled helically or made into rings, themeta-lcan bedisplaced, as room isafforded for such displacement of the metal, and the tendency to spread between the face of the piston rod, and the:packingis-obviated; and

the difierent pieces or blocks of metal between the gaps or recesses are prevented from amming.

Further, in connection with the bars'for the purpose of preventing them becoming solid or jammed, a distance piece or formation may be provided in connection with the two surfaces of-the bar which when folded or bent over, come upon or close together, so that when the rod in its manufacture is being bent and compressed, the laminae or parts are prevented from being entirely closed together or coming too severely into contact, thus pro viding interstices within the bar or rods in which lubricant may lodge. Such distance pieces or formations, in one form may con sist of slightly raised projections extending longitudinally across the faces of the metal blocks or parts which project from the face of the bar.

Examples of the packing, and metal bars used in same are shown in'the' accompanying drawings, which also illustrate the method or mode of manufacture of the bars.

In the drawings, Figure I is a sectional perspective view showing one form of bar and packing, and Figure 2 is a similar view of another or modified form'of bar. Figure 3 is a face view of the packings shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are side elevation and cross section of bars or strips used in the construction shown in Figure 1; and Figures 6 and 7' are perspective views of slightly modified forms of bars used in the manufacture of packing shown in Figure 1. i

Figures 8 and 9 are cross section and plan View of'the form of metal strip used in making the packing shown in Figure 2; and Figure shows the strip folded in half, and Figure 11 shows the bar completely folded.

In the packings shown in Figures 1, 2, 3,

1 represents the backing or body of material I of asbestos, textile, or other suitable soft material, in which the bars are carried; 2 represents generally the triplex bar; and 3 are r the V-shaped' gaps in same.

With regard to the form of bar shown in Figure 1, this" bar may be produced by extrusi on or rolling of" the" section shown in Figures 5 or 6 one part, the lower part; being. suitably divided so a's tofor'rn two 1nem% hers, there being three-members in all;

In the case shown, the upper portion 5 01f I the-bar, which is to=form the c'entra'l layer in the complete packing, and-' the otherparts 6 -*which form thetwo outer'l'ayers are' a't the active faces about equ'al that is, in the fin:

6 are provided with gaps 3, as shown th'e t ransverse-planesin whic t e o'f l uppe iii) portion 5 lie, being intermediate those in which the gaps of the other portions 6 lie; and these gaps may be cut out of the strip by any suitable machine; and then, afterwards, the parts 6 of the strip are turned or folded towards and onto the side faces of the central part 5 of the strip; and the active edge faces of the parts 6 are formed at an angle as shown, so that when the parts are pressed together to the finished form, all the active edge faces will be in the same plane.

Preferably the members 5 and 6 of the strip 2 are so proportioned and the depth of the gaps suchas shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7- that there are no openings in the bent or inner portion of the bar, and therefore by this construction of bar, lubricant cannot get into the bottom or innermost portion of the backing material 1, and is all held away from this portion of the backing or carrier. Also the thickness and taper of the portions 6 and 5 of the bars are preferably such, that in the finished bar, the planes in which the outside surfaces of the finished bar lies, intersect each other on about the line representing the bot tom or inner surface of the backing or carrier 1. I

As a slight modification, instead of the bar produced by extrusion or rolling being of the form shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 it may be in the form of an inverted Tthus .L; or of an inverted Ythus A.

When the packing bar is made as illustrated in Figures 2 and 11, the strip from which the bar is made is rolled or extruded in the form shown in Figure 8, the edge portions 6 being tapered as shown, and this strip has gaps 3 cut out of its edges and a row of lozenge shaped openings 3 cut or stamped out along its centre, the transverse planes in which these lie being intermediate the planes in which the edge gaps lie.

The bar thus formed is bent or folded in half as illustrated in Figure 10, and then subsequently the portions 6 are folded, so as to lie at their inner surfaces on the outer surfaces of the portion 5 which constitutes the central ring of the bar, as shown in Figure 11; and the bar is compacted by rolling or other pressure, so that the surface of the inner and outer portions 5, 6 are flush.

If desired the flush surface of the finished bar may be produced by trimming same or rolling or pressing.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A flexible semi-metallic packing com prising a metal bar having its wearing faces provided with two or more longitudinal outs,

and transverse gaps extending between said cuts, as well as between the cuts and the side of adjacent rows in staggered relation.

2. A flexible semi-metallic pacln'ng comprising a metal bar having its wearing faces provided with two or more longitudinal cuts, and transverse gaps extending between said cuts, as well as between the cuts and the side of the packing, said gaps being arranged in staggered relation so that the wearing surfaces of the bar are divided into longitudinal rows of solid metal blocks, with the blocks of adjacent rows in staggered relation, and all the rows being integral with a common base at the back of the bar.

3. A packing comprising a carrier part or backing of flexible material, and a metal bar held within the same and tapering inwardly from its face to its base, said bar comprising three or more parallel layers of metal integrally connected and in surface contact with one another, each of the layers being formed with gaps, the gaps of each layer being transversely ofitset from the gaps of adjacent layers whereby to provide that the wearing surface of the bar presents a series of longitudinally arranged rows of blocks of solid metal with the blocks, the blocks of the respective rows being in staggered relation.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

GEORGE W. BELDAM. J. SMITH. 

